Healthy Kids, Healthy Bodies (Age 2–18)
Do you want to learn how to support healthy eating, active living, and good sleep habits in your family? If you answered “yes” then read on for ideas.
Focus on healthy habits that promote overall well-being
Healthy habits will help your child to grow in a pattern that is right for them. Adopt healthy eating, active living, and good sleep habits for the whole family. Set up your home and your routines to make it easier to put healthy habits into daily life.
Fad diets or strict meal plans can affect a child’s growth, development, and relationship with food. Don’t put your child on a diet or exercise program without the advice of a healthcare provider.
Healthy eating habits for the whole family
- Serve the same healthy foods to the whole
- Children copy their parents. When you enjoy healthy foods, you teach your child to enjoy them as
- Eat together as a family as often as you This is a chance to try new foods and spend time together.
- Have regular meals and snacks rather than This helps children to get the nutrients they need and may allow for healthier food choices.
- Offer water or milk as drink
- Encourage your child to follow their body’s hunger and fullness cues and learn to stop eating when they are comfortably
- Put aside books and toys, and turn off TV and other devices during meals. This helps children pay attention to their body’s
- Pack healthy snacks, meals, and drinks rather than buying them while you are If you do eat out, be aware that portion sizes are often large. Share food or take home leftovers.
- Reward children with verbal praise, special activities, stickers or bubbles, instead of
Follow Canada’s Food Guide
Offer a variety of healthy foods from Canada’s Food Guide to satisfy your child’s hunger. Serve
- balanced meals and 2–3 healthy snacks each day. Younger children need fewer servings of each food group than older
Use this as a guide for making food choices:
GO: Choose most often foods are healthy daily choices from the 4 food groups.
YIELD: Choose sometimes foods are also healthy choices, but may be lower in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and higher in sugar, fat, or salt.
STOP: Choose least often foods are low in nutrients as well as high in sugar, fat, and salt. Your child can eat these foods occasionally, but they shouldn’t take the place of healthy food.
Vegetables and Fruit
Children 2–3 years:
- servings a day
Children 4–8 years:
- servings a day
Youth 9–18 years:
- to 8 servings a day
| Examples of 1 serving: |
| · 1 medium piece of fresh fruit
· ½ cup (125 mL) fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables or fruit · 1 cup (250 mL) leafy vegetables · 60 mL (¼ cup) dried fruit |
Choose bright orange and dark green vegetables and fruit more often.
- Fresh, frozen or canned vegetables without added salt
- Fresh or frozen fruit without added sugar
- Baked or boiled potatoes
- Fruit canned in juice
- Dried fruit or 100% dried fruit leather
Yield
- Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables with added salt
- Canned or frozen fruit in light syrup
- Baked fruit or apple chips
- Dried fruit with added sugar
- Lower sodium salsa
Stop
- Battered and fried vegetables
- French fries, hash browns, or potato chips
- Sweetened fruit punch, beverage, or drink
Grain Products
Children 2–3 years:
- servings a day
Children 4–8 years:
- servings a day
Youth 9–18 years:
6 to 7 servings a day
| Examples of 1 serving: |
| · ½ cup (125 mL) cooked pasta or rice
· ¾ cup (175 mL) hot cereal or 30 g cold cereal · 3 cups (750 mL) popcorn · 1 slice of bread |
Choose whole grain products more often.
- Whole grain bannock, bread, injera, naan, noodles, pasta, pita, quinoa, rice, or wrap
- Whole grain hot or cold cereal
- Lower fat unsalted whole grain crackers
- Plain popcorn
- Small, lower fat whole grain muffins
Yield
- White Bannock, bread, crackers, naan, noodles, pasta, pita, rice, or wrap
- Hot or cold cereal without whole grains
- Flavored rice cakes
- Granola bars
- Light microwave popcorn
- Lower fat muffins or cookies
Stop
- Cake, croissants, doughnuts, or pie
- Cheese and garlic bread
- Chocolate dipped granola bars
- Fry bread
- Instant noodles or high fat noodle and sauce mixes
- Store-bought cookies or muffins
- Tortilla or nacho chips
